There are relatively few people will know who the Titans were, and even those who have read a few of the stories of Greek mythology will be unfamiliar with them. The Titans though were the rules of the universe during the Golden Age of Greek mythology, the time before Zeus and his brethren, when prosperity and harmony were all encompassing. Those that have heard of the Titans will probably only recognise the names of Atlas and perhaps Cronus.

Cronus was though the supreme ruler of a group of twelve Titans, six male and six female siblings, the offspring of Uranus and Gaia. This group did not include Atlas though, as he was a second generation Titan, but it did include Coeus, brother to Cronus.

The Golden Age is not a well documented era of Greek mythology, and the events and stories, if any existed have been lost from aural or written record. All that is known about this period is the stories of Cronus, although there are passing references in later work to the great intelligence that Coeus possessed. The stories though of Cronus lead to the uprising of Zeus and his five siblings, after Zeus had freed them from the stomach of his father.

The rebellion by Zeus leads to the Titan War, a ten year fight between the Titans and Zeus, along with his allies, which became known as the Titanomachy. Zeus having released the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires from their imprisonment in Tartarus had a force to fight with. During the Titanomachy Coeus fought on the side of his brothers, although because of the relative age of the first generation of Titans, most of the fighting was left to the second generation lead on the battlefield by Atlas. Coeus though was said to use his wisdom and knowledge to plan the fighting.

Zeus of course was ultimately victorious and for his role fighting the Olympian gods, Coeus and his brothers, although not his sisters, were imprisoned in the depths of Tartarus, guarded by their other brothers, the Hecatonchires. The story of Coeus would end at this point but for the fact that Coeus’ role in Greek mythology has more to do with his children and grandchildren than with his own activities.

Coeus was partner to Phoebe, his sister, with whom he fathered Leto and Asteria, arguably more recognisable names than that of their parents. These offspring though were passed in fame by their own children, as Leto gave birth to both Apollo and Artemis after a relationship with Zeus, whilst Asteria gave birth to another goddess of Mount Olympus, Hecate.